Women of Note

Dee Haslam

Owner,
Cleveland Browns

Kevin Kleps

Dee and Jimmy Haslam, each with plenty of experience in running a business, believed the good times would keep rolling when they purchased the Cleveland Browns in 2012.

"We bought this team because we thought it would be fun to have an NFL team," Dee said. "I don't know why we thought that, but we thought this will be a really fun, great chapter in our life."

You probably don't need us to tell you how difficult it's been for the Haslams, but just in case ...

The Browns were winless in 2017, they've lost 34 of their last 35 games and they're 19-71 since the NFL's owners unanimously approved Randy Lerner's sale of the team to the couple on Oct. 16, 2012.

Dee admits now that the Haslams "didn't have a clue what we were doing" at the time.

The franchise's latest reboot, led by new general manager John Dorsey, has been well-received, however, and the upcoming Browns training camp will get the documentary treatment when the team becomes the focus of HBO's popular "Hard Knocks" series. Haslam is excited about the newest iteration of the franchise, but is cautious because the "story's not written yet."

And while HBO's cameras will be focused on the likes of rookie quarterback Baker Mayfield and flashy wide receiver Jarvis Landry later this month, one of the franchise's 64-year-old owners is as knowledgeable about that process as anyone in Berea.

Dee's father, Ross Bagwell Sr., is a cable television industry pioneer. Bagwell created Cinetel Productions, which he sold to Scripps Howard Broadcasting in 1994. That year, Bagwell and his son, Ross Jr., formed several production companies, one of which Haslam and business partner Rob Lundgren later turned into RIVR Media.

The Knoxville, Tenn., media company has produced more than 3,000 episodes for 21 TV networks. Its credits include cable hits "Trading Spaces" and "World Series of Poker."

In April, Haslam stepped down as RIVR's CEO, though she remains a partner and executive producer. The move was years in the making, she said, and it was necessitated by all of the weeks and months she was spending in Northeast Ohio.

"I realized at some point it wasn't fair to the company for me to be this long-distance CEO," Haslam said.

Haslam said she remains an active part of RIVR's financial and creative arms, and she isn't shy about making a long-distance pitch for a show.

Something the Haslams have been "hyperfocused" on, Dee said, is aiding the Cleveland Metropolitan School District — efforts that were sparked by a request from CMSD CEO Eric Gordon to help the district's flagging attendance.

"The more we dug, we started asking questions," Haslam said. "What are the barriers for them not to go to school? Yes, we can do the messaging — tell parents how important it is — but why aren't the kids going to school?"

Some of the solutions "are pretty easy," she said.

The Browns, CMSD and Shoes and Clothes for Kids partnered on a program, funded by Browns Give Back, that provides shoes, clothes and other supplies to students. The effort, which is entering its third year, has shown that, in some cases, attendance for students who receive the donations has increased by as much as 25% to 30%, Shoes and Clothes for Kids executive director Terry Uhl said.

And this isn't a case of the team writing a check and hoping everything turns out OK, Uhl said.

"She asks us questions regularly. She takes an active role in making sure the impact is paying off at the end with the kids," Uhl said.

Another factor in attendance problems — the students' engagement level — led to the Browns donating synthetic athletic fields at five CMSD schools in a two-year span. In 2018, they extended the field project to high schools in Lorain and Toledo.

The owner is proud of the franchise's extensive community efforts. She's also well aware that something that has been noticeably lacking would provide a heck of a lift.

"The best way we can give back to Northeast Ohio, however, is to win games," Haslam said.

Five things

No place like home: The Haslams own a house in Bratenahl.

The cold truth about Cleveland: "I even like it in the winter, and people can't understand that. You get used to it. I think there's so much to offer here."

Tribe time: One of the Haslams' five grandchildren, 6-year-old Ross, was a Yankees fan — until he attended a recent Indians game.

Checks and balances: Haslam has served on the NFL's conduct committee since 2014.

Never bored: Her board ties include roles with the Greater Cleveland Partnership, the United Way of Greater Cleveland, University Hospitals and the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.

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